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14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Nat King Cole - Smile Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsC, C7, A, Dm, A7, Fm, G
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

CSmilethoughyourheartisaching
C7Smileeventhoughit’sbreaking
CWhenthereareAcloudsintheDmsky
You’llgetA7by
IfyouDmsmilethroughyourfearandsorrow
FmSmileandmaybetomorrow
CYou’llseetheAsuncomeshiningDmthrough
GForyou
CLightupyourfacewithgladness
C7Hideeverytraceofsadness
CAlthoughaAtearmaybeDmeversoA7near
That’stheDmtimeyoumustkeepontrying
FmSmilewhat’stheuseofcrying
CYou’llfindthatAlifeisstillDmworthwhile
GIfyou’lljustCsmile
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistNat King Cole
AlbumSmile Sountrack
GenresJazz
Year1954
KeyC
DifficultyIntermediate

How to play Smile on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Nat King Cole - Smile on guitar requires 7 chords and 8 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Smile uses these transitions most often: A → Dm (4), C → A (4), and A7 → Dm (2). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - C7 chord transition.

1. C → C7 chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram

To move from C to C7:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

C to C7

2. C → A chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram

Switching from C to A:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

C to A

3. A → Dm chord transition

Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram

Here's how to move from A to Dm:

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 4 times.

A to Dm

4. Dm → A7 chord transition

Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-0-2-0Guitar A7 chord diagram

Here's how to move from Dm to A7:

  1. While playing Dm, lift your ring finger from B string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

Dm to A7

5. Dm → Fm chord transition

Switching from Dm to Fm:

  1. While playing Dm, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

6. Fm → C chord transition

To move from Fm to C:

  1. While playing Fm, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place middle finger on D string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

7. Dm → G chord transition

Here's how to move from Dm to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

8. G → C chord transition

Switching from G to C:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

Smile chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Smile.

  • Smile includes 24 chord transitions, 8 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Smile contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Smile connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → C7: 2%
    • C → A: 1%
    After Dm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (18%), G (16%), and Am (14%).
    • Dm → G: 16%
    • Dm → A7: 1%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.